Angela Hartlin

Mental Health Advocate, Author, CYCW

Angela Hartlin is a mental health advocate, Child & Youth Care trained, and author of FOREVER MARKED: A Dermatillomania Diary. She currently serves on the Board of Directors for the Canadian BFRB Support Network with a goal of raising awareness for Body-Focused Repetitive Behaviors. For more information, please visit www.skinpickingsupport.com

When patients aren't receiving the care they need and their condition worsens, it takes more taxpayer money to attempt to treat them. The irreparable damage caused by this negligence in the system affects families, communities and the local economy.

Those of us who feel hurt in our hearts for our American friends and family must take time to stop engaging in this year's political circus. It is seemingly unfathomable to get this 180 degree turn of American politics out of your mind, especially when you understand the negative impact that could come of this presidency, with evidence based strictly on his divisive rhetoric. But you must. Even if only for a bit, you MUST unplug from the chaos.

Many physicians and even mental health care providers do not know about these disorders. They ostracize or act in disgust toward their clients upon hearing the about compulsive skin picking, hair pulling, nail biting and related behaviours which causes further suffering and isolation in the lives of many Canadians.

At some point, every person in my life has made a suggestion that mirrors some of the professional opinions I've heard over the years: that the pain receptors in my body could be alarming off to "false threats." This made me fight a new battle: one where I began doubting myself.

For the past six years I have been a vocal advocate about a disorder that not many people have heard of: dermatillomania. This means that I have been compulsively picking at my skin for years without any end in sight of how to break free of this chronic condition.

Examining her very words unveils very destructive, manipulative, and sometimes sadistic behaviours that are, in my opinion, alarming. The controversial sexual abuse she may or may not have inflicted on her sister is what's making the headlines, not the blatant control issues she has and a lack of boundaries she exhibits with her sister. The focus should not about left or right but more about wrong or right.

People are meant to be resilient and aim to recover from traumatic life events so when you lose a beloved pet, it is natural for those who care about you to ask when you are going to fill the void by adopting another lucky fur-child. Emotionally, we may process it as someone trying to get us to replace the love we just lost.

I will tell you that I know you've tried what feels like everything to create a tolerable existence, but it hasn't worked thus far. I also know that you have hoarded your past expired medications in your toy hamper waiting for this day when you finally get "the nerve" to go through with ending it all. Please don't let today be your last, I want you to experience what it's like to smile for real again and you'll be taking that opportunity away.

As an evolved species, we can do better than repeating the same patterns of discrimination that feed into a looping and segregating cycle. Let's lay out all issues on the table, educate, and not stamp prejudice onto those who suffer greatly for various other reasons because they fit in with the white/ straight/ rich categories.

Have you ever wondered what it would be like for a film crew to follow you day in and day out, documenting your daily rituals all in an effort to create a successful film? I have a chronic condition called Dermatillomania, which has left me scarred and disfigured on the outside, alienated and "different" on the inside.

While the fantasy surrounding Santa can be a magical experience for a child, how to deal with the consequences of explaining "how a man with infinite resources has left you with less than your peers" can become complicated and send out the wrong message about the child's worth if Santa's yearly rewards don't add up to those of their elementary counterparts.

"I never knew this was a problem until I read that skin picking is a disorder- so there's something wrong with me?" The answer to this is no. If you have went through life unscathed by your skin picking until an article brought it to your attention, then you addressing it as an issue will only undermine those of us who face scrutiny, even by the mental health community.